Push-to-talk styled communications are well known in the art. The members of a talkgroup comprising two or more wireless mobile stations are able to wirelessly communicate with one another by simply asserting a push-to-talk button. In many communication systems, assertion of the push-to-talk button does not immediately permit the user to begin talking (and/or transmitting). Instead, assertion of the push-to-talk button initiates a sequence of events whereby the mobile station requests and/or otherwise acquires a communication resource (such as a specific transmission frequency, time slot(s), and/or a spreading code, to name a few) to facilitate the desired communication. In such systems, a specific audible signal will usually be provided to the user when, subsequent to assertion of the push-to-talk button, the mobile station in fact is prepared to at least record and then, usually, to shortly later transmit the user's message.
The duration of delay between when the user first asserts the push-to-talk button and when the user receives the signal indicating that the speech may now commence can vary for a variety of reasons. This delay, however, often becomes an obvious and highly visible measure of quality of service for many users. In general, the shorter the delay, the higher the perception of service quality. In some cases this delay occurs due to circumstances beyond immediate control (for example, high system loading or infrastructure downtime can adversely impact system performance in this regard).
In many instances, however, this delay cannot be reasonably reduced below a minimal duration that is nevertheless a source of disappointment to at least some users. Talker arbitration requirements comprise one such example. Talker arbitration facilitates a decision process whereby the communication system responds to a push-to-talk talk request by ascertaining whether any higher priority (and/or earlier) talk request presents a conflict and arbitrates such a conflict through selection of only one of the requesting parties. A dispatch server usually supports the talker arbitration service in most such systems.
Even when only a single wireless station presently seeks to communicate (i.e., when there is no present conflict) the wireless station must still transmit its intentions to the talker arbitrator at the dispatch server, and the talker arbitrator must still conclude the talker arbitration process and communicate its communication grant (or approval) to the requesting wireless station. This overall process can easily consume 700 milliseconds (or more) even under relatively ideal operating conditions in many systems. This minimal delay floor can lead to a sense of dissatisfaction with respect to the operation and efficiency of the wireless station and/or the communication system.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions and/or placement of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meaning as is usually accorded to such terms and expressions by those skilled in the corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where other specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.